Hate your job? Here’s why

Thursday, December 02, 2010

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Do you find yourself cribbing about your job and all that is related to it? Does it require extra effort to get to office everyday and you wish you were elsewhere? Find out exactly what is bothering you about your current job.

Not all of you are working in your dream job. You might be working your way towards it and aim to climb that ultimate career peak; till then you rough it out in roles that are necessary to take you to the final destination. However, your current job must also serve some purpose for your professional growth. Frustration at work could stem from many reasons, the base line being that the net advantage is not on your side. So, what is leaving you exasperated at work?

Your expertise has overshot your job – Either you have overstayed at your current job or you were overqualified for it right from day one. Either way, being involved in tasks that do not challenge or drive you is only an indicator that you are capable of holding more responsibility. So, take the initiative to volunteer for new projects or start looking for a new job. Measure career advancement in terms of your learning and dividends that you gain at every job, and realize when it is the right time to move on towards newer horizons.

You are not valued – You might be a hard worker, an achiever and a driven employee, but does your work get its due from your boss and colleagues? Your boss might not be fully aware of the input you are putting into your work and their results – voice your achievements and responsibilities duly completed in the routine work and performance review meetings. It is important that your manager and you are on the same page when it comes to work estimation.

You feel disconnected with what you do – Either you have given up along the way or the job responsibilities never interested you from the start - circumstances like the need for a bigger pay cheque could have steered your decision to join away from reasons like scope of learning, a chance to put into practise learned skills, etc. For the former, re-motivate yourself by listing the onus of holding this job; for the latter, start looking for other opportunities either within the company or outside that will utilise your skills and help you learn along the way.

You are underpaid – At the end of the month, it IS the pay cheque that one looks forward to. If your salary doesn’t complement your month’s efforts, it is natural to lose interest in your work. Research about prevailing salary trends of peers in your domain for similar experience and job role and take up the matter at time of review.

You have a bad boss – Dealing with an overtly demanding boss, a micromanager or a biased boss can be tough. Your boss’ way of working might not gel with yours and vice versa and conflicting situations are bound to arise. Work out a strategy to find middle ground – address and discuss either with the boss himself/herself or if matters are irreconcilable, voice your concern formally with the HR department.

You have equally bad colleagues ¬– As miscellaneous as this might seem, the work environment does play a role in determining your happiness quotient. Negative co-workers, office politics, and mis-fitting of the overall work culture with your personal style might be the reasons you do not enjoy an otherwise good job opportunity. Distance yourself from situations and people that cause stress, or address the issue bothering you through a plain conversation from your side to help clear tension.